Hold Your Fare, Not Your Breath: A Look at 2022 Fare Lock-In Policies

Buying time to decide if you want to confirm a great deal can significantly reduce airfare anxiety.

Let’s face it – pulling the trigger and clicking “buy” on an airline ticket never comes with any guarantee that the fare won’t drop tomorrow or next week, making you feel like you just got duped. Knowing when to buy or wait isn’t so easy to guess perfectly.

Most people don’t realize this. They see an amazing FCF fare alert and think to themselves, “I’m not ready yet, I won’t know my dates for a few more days,” and let the fare just pass on by.

Wait A Minute!

It’s tough to know when to purchase with so much uncertainty. I hope I can cancel that meeting in September. I hope I can get the kids out of school a week early. I hope cousin Pierre is cool if my visit happens in June not July.

But here comes the fare hold option to the rescue. Today, more airlines have jumped on board and others have started to make their holding options much more attractive. They range from a 24-hour grace period to up to seven days — even as high as 14 days with United. It’s a total game-changer for booking anxiety.

We liken it to that scene in The Matrix film where Neo’s vision sees a bullet in slow motion with incredible detail from all angles.

So it’s time to slow down your booking and revisit hold options to see where the airlines stand in 2022.

Why Put Off Today What You Can Do Tomorrow?

Yes, you read that right (though generally, most people have been trained on the other way around). My rationale is this: Why make a decision today when you can make a better one tomorrow with more intel? The airlines are making this possible with fare holds. And not just for tomorrow — but also for next week, too. There’s a lot more information to consider and benefit from when you’re booking these days and can freeze a fare.

But you have to shift your mindset to take advantage of airlines’ fare-hold policies. Here’s how:

Average Mindset: All you really want right now is a price for the flight you want so you can buy now and get it over with. You’d happily take a potential fare hit to avoid any added effort.

Better Mindset: Locking-in (for one to 14 days) a fare for the flights you want without committing. Not only does this take the edge off, but it also actually increases your odds of getting a better deal tomorrow, should airfare volatility shift in your favor. Then, you can just hold the new lower fare — and cancel your initial fare freeze. Then repeat the process with a new fare freeze. You reduce stress — and feel good about it, too.

Ultimate Mindset: Imagine if you could lock a few different flights today, more tomorrow, and more the day after that – on different dates and/or airlines to avoid getting your ticket canceled for double bookings. You don’t have to imagine because that’s exactly what’s possible.

EXAMPLES
OF HOW GOOD RECENT FLEETING FLASH FARES CAN BE

Africa: Cape Town from $1,698, Johannesburg from $1,684, Kenya from $2,187
Europe: London from $1,933, Italy from $1,798, Istanbul from $2,325
The Middle East: Dubai from $2,255, Israel from $2,285
South America: Argentina from $1,805, Sao Paulo from $1,603, Rio from $1,403

General Cancellation Policy for Paid Tickets

Most airlines allow you to cancel without penalty and receive a full refund within 24 hours after you purchase your ticket, by law. (The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates that “U.S. and foreign air carriers allow a ticket to be canceled within 24 hours without penalty.”)

But better still is to place a hold on your fare to allow longer flexibility for possible future fare changes. So, drum roll, please, here are the current general farehold policies. They’re not always available for all flights, so be sure they apply to yours.

FCF’s Fare Hold Cheat Sheet

Airline Fare-Hold Policy Details

Air France: The “Time to Think” option (see the website screenshot below) comes up after you select your flights if it is offered on your itinerary. Cost: usually $16 per ticket non-refundable and not offered on code-share flights. It guarantees the price for up to three days. The option also applies to First Class.

Air New Zealand: The “Fare Hold” option costs $35-$45 per international U.S. reservation (not per ticket) and the carrier offers no refund. It guarantees the price for up to three days. If your itinerary is eligible, the “Hold this Fare” button will appear at the bottom of the “Select your flights” screen.

All Nippon: The “Keep My Fare” option is good for up to 72 hours and costs $10 per ticket. Non-refundable and valid on ANA-operated flights only. The option comes up in the payment screen after selecting your flight and fare. Valid for both Business and First Class.

American: The “Hold Your Reservation” option comes up on the review and pay page, when offered, and only if you book seven or more days prior to departure. It is free for up to 24 hours. The option also applies to First Class and 15 different oneworld code-share airlines. On some routes, American also offers an “Extended hold option” for a fee (cost varies by route and is non-refundable).

British Airways: The “Hold Your Flight Price” option comes up after the price summary, when offered, and the option must be booked 21 days before departure and the cost is $10 per ticket for a 72-hour hold. If you buy the ticket, you get a refund. The option also applies to select partner flights on Iberia and in First Class on BA.

Cathay Pacific: The “Hold Your Fare” option is good for 72 hours for $15 per reservation. The fare is confirmed, however, taxes, fees, and carrier surcharges are subject to change. A fee will only be charged if the reservation has been canceled. Valid for both Business and First Class. Not valid on partner flights or flights departing within seven days. If you are a Marco Polo Club member, you can hold your fare without paying a deposit, but remember to sign in before you begin.

Eva Air: The “Keep Your Fare” option costs $16 per ticket and is good for up to 72 hours. Search for the flights and check the box marked “guarantee the fare” before starting the booking process. Some special fares may have a limited holding time of less than 72 hours. The hold time for the fare you want will be shown at the end of the booking process. Fees are non-refundable and the option must be booked at least seven days before departure.

Fiji Airways: The “Time To Think” option costs $10 per international ticket and is good for up to 72 hours. Search for the flights and upon being directed to the payment page, you will be provided an option to hold your booking with a “need more time to think?” message. Fees are non-refundable and the option must be booked five days before departure.

Hawaiian: The “Fare-Hold” option costs $9.99 for a three-day hold and $12.99 for a seven-day hold, per ticket. Once you’ve selected your flights, you’ll be offered the option to hold your fare on select flights. Fees can vary per route and are non-refundable, and the option must be booked 21 days before departure.

Iberia: The “Need more time to decide” option comes up during the trip summary and after the passenger information. You can hold the reservation for free for 24 hours or pay $10 per ticket for a 72-hour hold. The fee only applies if you do not buy the ticket.

KLM (the best hold program): The “Time to Think” option ($18 per ticket), when it is offered, comes up after you select your flights and has no refund. The option lasts up to 72 hours, depending on class of service and route. It’s been known to intermittently work with code-share flights on Air France and Delta, which is significant because Delta does not have a fare freeze option. It’s a clever backdoor.

LATAM: The “Hold Reservation” option is good for 24 hours and is free if the reservation is made one week or more prior to departure.

LOT: The “Time2Think” option costs $11 for a 24-hour hold, $13 for a 48-hour hold, and $15 for a 72-hour hold, per reservation. Search for the flights and click on “TIme2Think” before continuing to the next screen.

Lufthansa: The “Secure Your Fare” option, when offered, is for 48 hours. Cost: $39 per reservation; also offered in First Class. The fee only applies if you do not buy the ticket and only applies to Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine flights.

Qantas: The “Book Now, Pay Later” five-day hold option costs $25 per ticket. The fee only applies if you do not buy the ticket. The option to pay later and the length of time you have to pay will depend on your fare conditions and the time until your chosen departure date. The date on which complete payment is due is displayed on the Payment and Confirmation pages during the booking process.

Qatar: With “Hold My Booking,” the first 24 hours is free. There’s a $15 fee for a 48-hour hold and $20 for a 72-hour hold, per reservation. Fees are non-refundable and the option must be booked three days before departure.

SWISS: The “Secure Your Fare” option, when offered, is for 48 hours. Cost: $39 per reservation; it’s also offered on select First Class flights. The fee only applies if you do not buy the ticket. This applies to flights with a SWISS flight number (LX) that are booked at least one day before departure.

TAP: The “Time To Think” 48-hour hold option costs $13 per ticket. Fees are non-refundable and the option must be booked 96 hours before departure.

United: The “FareLock” option (non-refundable) comes up after the trip summary, if offered, and starts at $13.99 per reservation for a three-day hold, $16.99 for a seven-day hold, and $20.99 for a 14-day hold. The fee is slightly higher for multiple people on the same reservation. FareLock is available on flights operated by United and United Express only.

View the lock options as a hedge against hesitating — the reason most of us lose a great fare.

And never miss a great fare again.